Material storage rack

ABSTRACT

A storage rack ( 20 ) for use on an aerial lift ( 10 ) having a work platform ( 12 ) surrounded by a safety barrier( 17 )with a kick plate ( 14 ) adjacent the platform ( 12 ), the storage rack ( 20 ) having at least one leg ( 21 ) with a foot ( 22 ) which in use rests on the platform ( 12 ), the leg ( 21 )  4.  A storage rack as claimed in any one of Claims  1  to  3 , wherein the leg ( 21 ) having at its lower end portion a catch ( 36 ) which is engagable with the kick plate ( 14 ) to hold the foot ( 22 ) adjacent the kick plate.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to material storage rack and in particular toapparatus used for the storage of lengths of material, in particularpipes or tubes, during construction of buildings.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Building construction sites for large buildings frequently employconstruction equipment for lifting large and heavy components intoposition during the construction of a building. For example, lengths ofstandard 8 inch (200 mm) diameter steel pipe are typically 6 meters inlength and may weigh in the order of 150 kgs. During construction ofcommercial building the overhead pipe work is typically lifted and fixedinto position using aerial lifts.

A typical aerial lift is a mobile scissor lift available from JLG Ind.and which has a work platform which may be lifted into the air by ahydraulically operable scissor mechanism. For safety the work platformis surrounded by a safety barrier or fence.

As is described in WO 2005/077711, these lifts may be provided withauxiliary material handing equipment which is secured to the liftplatform. The material handing apparatus described includes a pipestorage rack for the storing lengths of pipe on the aerial lift prior totheir installation.

The present invention provides a material storage rack for use on anaerial lift and which can be independently fitted to the lift platform.

STATEMENTS OF THE INVENTION

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided astorage rack for use on an aerial lift having a work platform surroundedby a safety barrier with a kick plate adjacent the platform, the storagerack having at least one leg with a foot which in use rests on theplatform, the leg having coupling means thereon for securing the rack tokick plate.

The storage rack comprises a pair of spaced apart legs and preferablythe two feet are interconnected by a base plate which also rests againstthe platform. At least one arm which in use also rests against platformmay be attached to the base plate to extend normally inwardly thereof.

Each leg at its lower end portion is provided with a catch which isengagable with the kick plate to hold the respective foot adjacent thekick plate.

The upper end portion of the or each leg is detachably connected to anelongate material support, preferably comprising a pair of spaced apartholders, the material support having coupling means thereon for securingthe storage rack to said barrier.

The or each leg may comprise two inter-connectable limbs, a lower limbconnected to a respective foot, and a detachable upper limb having acoupling means thereon also for securing the storage rack to saidbarrier.

The elongate support may comprise a single assembly, or may comprise twointer-connectable portions.

The invention further comprises an aerial lift having a work platformsurrounded by a safety barrier including a kick plate adjacent theplatform, and a material storage rack according to the first aspect ofthe invention located within the safety barrier and having at least onefoot in use resting on the platform with coupling means securing therack to said barrier.

Preferably the platform is a rectangular platform with at least one racksecured to at least one side of the platform.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention will be described by way of example and with reference tothe accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of an aerial platform

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of a material storage rack according to thepresent invention,

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of the rack of FIG. 1 in use on an aerialplatform,

FIG. 4 is an isometric view of the rack shown in FIG. 1 with the upperportion of the legs removed,

FIG. 5 is a side elevation of the rack of FIG. 3 in use on an aerialplatform,

FIG. 6 is a side elevation of the rack during fitting,

FIG. 7 shows a kit of components that make up the material storage rack.

FIG. 8 shows a second catch means for use with a second type of kickplate and

FIG. 9 shows a third catch means for use with another type of kickplate.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INENTION

FIG. 1 shows an aerial lift 10 in the form of a self drive mobilescissor lift available from JLG Ind. The lift 10 has a drivable vehiclebody 11 having wheels 15 and a work platform 12 located on its body andwhich in use can be raised or lowered relative to the ground. Theplatform 12 is shown in a lowered condition and the vehicle body isprovided with stabilisers 16 at its corners which are lowered to providestability during use of the lift. The work platform 12 is raised orlowered by a scissor type mechanism 13 typically operated by a poweredhydraulic system provided on the lift. The platform 12 has extendableend portions 19 and the whole platform is provided with a safety barrier17 including a kick plate 14 adjacent the platform 12. The kick plate 14typically has an upper edge with an inwardly turned lip 119 having adownward flange 120. Alternative forms of kick plate are also known. Anaccess ladder 18 is provided on the body 11 for access to the platform12 when in the lowered condition.

With reference now to FIGS. 3 to 5, there is shown a storage rack 20 foruse on the aerial lift 10. The storage rack 20 has at least one leg 21,and preferably two spaced apart legs 21, each of which has a foot 22 atits lower end which in use rests on the platform 19. The two feet 21 areinterconnected by a base plate 23 which also rests against the platform.The two feet and the base plate may be formed as a single assembly 30 asshown in FIG. 7. At least one arm 40 (shown in FIG. 7 only) which in usealso rests against platform, may be attached to the base plate 23 toextend normally inwardly thereof (that is inward relative to theplatform). This helps further stabilise the rack.

Each leg 21 is formed from one lower limb 25 which is secured to itsrespective foot 22, with an optional and separable upper limb 26. Theupper end limb 26 is provided with a lower end portion 27 which is asliding fit within the upper end portion of the lower limb 25. Should ahigher level rack is required the two limbs 25,26 may be securedtogether by suitable locking means, e.g nuts and bold, pins etc. This isshown in FIGS. 2 & 3. If a lower level rack is required, the upper limb26 may be omitted, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.

An elongate material support 28 is detachably mounted to the upper endportion of either limb 25 or 26 depending upon the rack height. Thematerial support comprises two inter-connectable 28 struts 29,31, with apair of spaced apart material holders 34 secured one at each remote endof the inter-connected struts. The under-side of each strut 29,31 isprovided with a connector means 32,33, substantially similar to the endportion 27, for detachably connecting support 28 to the two legs 21. Thematerial support 28 is further with coupling means 35 thereon forsecuring the storage rack to the barrier 17 on the platform 19.Preferably the coupling means 35 are in the form of downwardly facinghooks which are located one on each side of each respective connectormeans 32 and 33. The material holders 34 may be shaped to any requiredshape suitable for supporting the material to be stored on the rack. Thesupport assembly 28 may also be supplied as a single unit.

The upper limb 26 of each leg is also provided on its outwardly facingsurface with a coupling means 37 thereon for securing the rack to thebarrier. The coupling means 37 is substantially the same as couplingmeans 35. The lower limb 25 of each leg 21 is provided on an outwardlyfacing surface (outward with respect to the platform) with a catch 36adjacent its foot 22 which is engagable with a detent on the kick plate,conveniently formed by the downwardly turned flange 120 of the kickplate 14, to hold the respective foot 22 in proximity to the kick plate14. The catch means 36 in the form of a rod which is engagable withinthe downwardly turned flange 120 of the kick plate 14, to hold the basein proximity to the kick plate 14.

The storage rack 20 is installed on the work platform 19 by placing thelower assembly, comprising the two lower limbs 25 of the legs 21, feet22 and base plate 23, onto the platform 19 within the safety barrier 17adjacent the kick plate 14. The lower limb 25 is tilted outwardly asshown in FIG. 6 to engage the catch 36 under the lip 119 of the kickplate 14 and is then brought upright with the feet 22 resting flatagainst the platform. The legs are now substantially upright and coupledto the kick plate.

The material support 38 can now be assembled to the upright lower limbs25 with the hooks 35 engaging over the barrier rail 17A, as shown inFIG. 5. Alternatively, the upper limbs 26 assembled to the lower limbs25 with the hooks 37 engaging over the lower rail 17A of the barrier asshown in FIG. 3, and the support 38 then assembled to the upper limbs 26with the hooks 35 engaging over the top rail 17B. The storage rack 20may be used for the storage of lengths of the pipe P on one side of theplatform 19, leaving the centre of the platform open. In use, thestorage rack 20 with the pipe in situ is lifted into position using theaerial lift.

With reference to FIG. 7, the storage rack 20 is supplied as a kit ofseparate parts which are then assembled together. The parts comprise theassembly 30, upper limbs 26, the stabilizing arm 40, and the struts 29 &31 with holders 32 optionally secured in place.

Referring now to FIG. 8, there is shown a second coupling means 80 foruse with a flat kick plate having no upper flange. In this case thecatch 86 is a downward facing hook which is a push fit over a flat kickplate (not shown).

FIG. 9 shows another coupling means 90 for use with a kick plate 14having an outwardly turned lip 91 with a downwardly turned outer flange93. In this case the catch 96 comprises a downward facing open hookwhich engages over the lip 91 and flange 93 and has a detent 97 at theend of the hook 96 which engages with the underside of the flange 93.

1. A storage rack for use on an aerial lift having a work platform surrounded by a safety barrier with a kick plate adjacent the platform, the storage rack having at least one leg with a foot which in use rests on the platform, the leg having coupling means thereon for securing the rack to the kick plate.
 2. A storage rack comprises as claimed in claim 1 and comprising a pair of spaced apart legs the two feet of which are interconnected by a base plate which in use also rests against the platform.
 3. A storage rack as claimed in claim 2 further comprising at least one arm which in use also rests against platform and which is attached to the base plate to extend normally inwardly thereof.
 4. A storage rack as claimed claim 1, wherein each leg at its lower end portion is provided with a catch which is engagable with a detent on the kick plate to hold the respective foot adjacent the kick plate.
 5. A storage rack as claimed in claim 4, wherein the coupling means comprise a catch which engagable under a lip formed on the kick plate.
 6. A storage rack as claimed in claim 1, wherein the or each leg comprises two inter-connectable limbs, a lower limb connected to a respective foot, and an optional detachable upper limb having a coupling means thereon also for securing the storage rack to said barrier.
 7. A storage rack as claimed in claim 6, wherein the upper end portion of the or each leg is detachably connected to an elongate material support having further coupling means thereon for securing the storage rack to said barrier.
 8. A storage rack as claimed in claim 7, wherein the elongate support comprises two inter-connectable portions.
 9. A storage rack for use on an aerial lift having a work platform surrounded by a safety barrier with a kick plate adjacent the platform, the storage rack comprising a kit of parts comprising: 1) an elongate material support having coupling means thereon for securing the storage rack to said barrier, 2) a first pair of spaced apart leg portions connectable to the support and having two feet which is use rest against the platform and are interconnected by a base plate which also rests against the platform, each leg comprising coupling means for engaging the kick plate, and 3) a further pair of leg portions connectable to both the support and first leg portions also having coupling means connectable to barrier.
 10. An aerial lift having a work platform surrounded by a safety barrier including a kick plate adjacent the platform, and a material storage rack as claimed in claim 1, located within the safety barrier and having at least one foot in use resting on the platform with coupling means securing the rack to said kick plate. 